1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door handle assembly for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a door handle assembly for use on the inside surface of a vehicle door to operate a locking mechanism therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a conventional inside door handle includes a casing 1 and a handle 2. The handle 2 is supported by a pivot pin 3 on the casing 1 and is rotatable in the direction of arrow a. The casing 1 is fixed on the inner side of an inside panel A of a door and supported by a door trim C. The handle 2 has an actuator 2a and a lever arm 2b extending beyond the pivot pin 3. The arm 2b is connected to an elongated member, such as a rod 4, so as to operate a door locking mechanism (not shown) by movement of the rod 4. The handle 2 and a cover portion 1c of the casing 1 are exposed to the inside of the vehicle.
The pivot pin 3 is required to be positioned as closely as possible to the inside of the vehicle, so that the distance b between the outer surface of the casing 1 and the inner surface of the door trim C is minimized. The handle assembly is a source of concern in a traffic accident involving a side or oblique impact, since if a passenger is thrown into the door trim C in the direction of arrow D, the trim may be bent. Then the rod 4 may be bent through the panel A, as shown by the chain line (in FIG. 1). As a result, the end portion e of the rod 4 connected to the locking mechanism (not shown) may be pulled in the same direction as when the handle 2 is operated to open the door. When the end portion e of the rod 4 is moved to the point g beyond the point f, as shown in FIG. 1, the door is unlocked and the door can be thrown open. For this reason, there must be at least a distance between point e and point f on the rod 4 so that if the rod moves between these points, the door will not be unlocked. This distance should be increased as far as possible to ensure safety.
This safety factor can be achieved by increasing the distance between the pivot pin 3 and the end h of the rod 4 pivoted in the arm 2b so as to increase the rotational sweep, i.e. the moment length, of the arm. However, since the door trim C is positioned as closely as possible to the inside panel A so as to increase the width of the passenger area of the vehicle, it is not feasible to extend the head of the arm 2b towards the inside panel A. Accordingly, the pivot pin 3 must be shifted inward towards the passenger area. Where the pivot pin 3 is shifted inward, however, a recess 1a, formed on the casing 1 to receive the pivot pin 3, is exposed in the passenger area. The external appearance then is undesirable. Further, the pivot pin 3 is in danger of coming out of the recess 1a.
Alternatively, an increase in the play distance of the rod 4 can be realized by increasing the rotational sweep of the handle 2. However, it then becomes troublesome to operate the handle 2.